Floyd Lau founded Amptek Technologies in 2002 as an end to end engineering design company, but it has since grown to produce its own product brand that is now entering the IoT and lighting market.

Floyd has worked as an engineering executive for over 25 years, designing digital communication hardware and embedded system products. Floyd also has a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Business Administration from Wilfred Laurier University.

Prior to founding Amptek Floyd worked for high-tech companies in Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. His diverse skills allowed him to work at the forefront of numerous projects, including designing elements of pagers (for those of us who remember them!) and various other digital communication devices.

After working for several years in Asia Floyd made the decision to move back to Canada, primarily to be closer to his family that reside in the Greater Toronto Area.

When Floyd returned to Canada he brought with him his experience in digital communication and after the founding of Amptek he decided to not only act as a consulting firm but to develop his own brand of products that would benefit end-users. Continuing to think along the lines of communication Floyd turned to the rapidly expanding world of IoT and began developing ways for machines to better communicate with each other and with the individuals that control them. Out of this was born iCon (Internet Connectivity), a multi-purpose IoT hub that has a variety of uses and operates via wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The iCon allowed Floyd to move Amptek forward and begin taking the new product into industry sectors that were now embracing IoT and looking for more automated system management. The next step for Floyd was to decide on an initial product that he could couple with the iCon that would attract buyers seeking to advance their IoT capabilities and lighting seemed to be one of the fastest growing markets for advanced connectivity. Amptek has now produced the BLE dimmer, a Bluetooth low energy, 0-10V dimmer for LED lights.

The BLE dimmer allowed Floyd to begin production of a mobile controlled fully automated lighting system with residential, commercial and industrial applications. The BLE dimmer controls a dimmable LED driver that is paired with each LED unit. The BLE dimmer is controlled via Bluetooth signals that are sent from the iCon and then it relays the message to all other dimmers that have been connected to the system. The iCon is controlled through an app on your phone or tablet which can set timers for lights in designated areas and allows for remote access to your system. Amptek is also currently developing an occupancy sensor to complement the BLE dimmer.

EIN was able to test the system as a new customer would and it was very user friendly. Floyd has clearly taken his communication skills and applied them to develop a platform for any user to connect their lighting system using his iCon platform. And it doesn’t stop at lighting, Amptek can apply the system for IoT control of nearly any automated building system making it a valuable tool for the rise of Smart buildings. Amptek also has a philosophy that is highly customer driven. If there is ever an issue with their products their service line connects customer directly with the engineers behind the tech.

Currently Amptek is providing Delviro Energy with their iCon and BLE dimmer to deliver a fully encrypted automated lighting system for their clients and to provide Smart LED dimming for the Del Grow LED horticultural Luminaries.

Floyd is very excited about his work with Delviro and even more excited to continue driving Amptek Technologies forward with further products that will provide IoT options for use in Smart building construction and retrofitting of outdated building control systems.

Floyd continues to focus on communication, only now he is working more on letting machines talk to one another than providing a platform for people to connect through technology, and after working in various markets he is happy to have founded his company here in Canada but notes that he has maintained his contacts in Asia and continues to leverage the industry understanding he gained from working here and in Asia.

Electrician Forum Brought to you by Schneider Electric

As industry experts you know the products you use everyday better than anyone and should have input on what information you receive about products and what could improve them.

Therefore, we want your insight on the biggest challenges or issues you face when installing loadcentres, breakers (CAFI, GFI's…) and other surge protection devices. We ask that you do not provide product specific details but rather your general issues and concerns or any questions that have come to mind while working with these product types. Provide us with your valued expert insight into the issues you have faced so manufacturers can better inform you about the installation and use of these products. Lets generate some discussion that will help guide the Industry.

There has been a lot of talk about cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models these days but both are relatively new to the lighting industry. Let’s take a look at what they are as well as their roles in commercial lighting.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of compute power, database storage, and applications via the Internet with pay-as-you-go or subscription-based pricing. Cloud computing means that instead of all the computer hardware, software, and data that you are using sitting somewhere inside your company’s network, it’s provided and managed for you as a service by another company and you access it over the Internet.

This article is an excerpt from a technical brief, “Understanding LM-80, Lumen Maintenance, and LED Fixture Lifetime,” by Philips Color Kinetics.

Test results of lumen maintenance in conventional and LED light sources differ considerably. This is known as the lumen maintenance gap. These tests are performed to determine the useful life of a light source. But how do we compare lighting technologies satisfactorily if test results of a same designation do not mean the same thing? These lumen maintenance measurement distinctions are those we will examine in this article, as a clear understanding of this gap will have a significant impact on the installation, maintenance and replacement cost calculations of lighting products.

Copper $US Dollar price per pound

If your customers aren't impressed by you or your co-workers on the telephone, they can switch businesses by merely hanging up and dialing the competition. So, your telephone skills can have a significant impact on your business and your career.

To find out how you and your co-workers are perceived, take this telephone test. While you’re at it, have a friend make a “mystery call” to see how your fellow employees measure up.

Meeting people in our industry often comes with surprises. This was the case with Jean-Marc Myette, Business Development Manager of ABB’s Electrification Products Division and chair of the Board of Electro-Federation Canada’s Quebec section. Not only does he know the electrical industry down to the most minute product and technological innovations, he is also a professional car racer on sabbatical, and someone very involved in his business community and personal life.

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